In image or video compression coding, variable length coding and run-length coding are techniques used for codec designs, which can be employed to code information when there are long-runs with the same symbol. A short code word is assigned to the most frequently used symbols while a longer code word is used for the less frequently used symbols. The same symbol with a run-length is coded with the run-length, rather than code the same symbol many times. In this way, the bitstream representing the original information will be compressed.
However, such techniques may be less efficient when the symbols are distributed without long runs. In those cases, the variable-length coding ends up with coding a great deal of location information. In various coding schemes, spatial data coding may exhibit some properties such as short runs or very few code words. These properties have not been efficiently employed by existing entropy coders, such as variable-length coding and arithmetic coding. Accordingly, a need exists for systems, methods, and apparatus to address the shortfalls of present technology and to improve coding efficiency.